Some might say the four-piece JB and the Moonshine Band was born the day JB… Read Full Bio ↴Some might say the four-piece JB and the Moonshine Band was born the day JB Patterson looked up to see that only three musicians had shown up at his open- call audition in his Tyler, Texas, hometown. Fortunately, Gabe Guevara (drums), Hayden McMullen (lead guitar) and Chris Flores (bass guitar) turned out to be the right three and, after a brief musical and personal get-to-know-you session, everyone realized the stars had aligned to bring them together.

But if you ask JB when the band really started, he’ll reflect back to a time rooted less in music and more in his unfulfilled dreams.

“My son, Parker, is the reason this band exists,” he explains. “Because when I learned I was going to be a father, I knew I wanted to be able to tell him he can be whatever he wants to be as long as he sets his mind to it and works hard. But I realized there was something I had wanted to do that I never had the guts to try—being a singer/songwriter. And I thought to myself, if I’m ever gonna tell my kid that he can be whatever he wants to be, then I’d better at least give this a shot. Thankfully, it has worked out. But, succeed or fail, you’ve gotta try.”

Since taking the plunge into the music business, JB and the guys have seen enough success for JB to realize he’s already accomplished his first set of goals. In just over three years, JB has written a couple of tunes that wound up atop the Billboard Texas music charts and he and the band have recorded and released two acclaimed albums—Ain’t Goin’ Back to Jail and the current Beer for Breakfast on the Average Joes Entertainment label. They’ve also been pounding the road playing shows all over the country.

So, what’s the secret to the band’s success thus far in its young career? JB thinks it comes down to two simple things: band chemistry and his commitment to staying true to himself as a writer and artist.

“When I was a teenager and saw Willie Nelson, I was awestruck,” he recalls. “And I especially liked how his band is basically like his family. My band and I are friends, first and foremost, and secondarily, we play music together. I’ve been very fortunate to have such a good group of guys.”

And the combination of the band’s great chemistry and JB’s excellent songwriting gives these East Texas boys instant credibility wherever they play. Whether cranking out no-holds-barred honky-tonk drinking tunes or throttling back to sing about matters of the heart, JB and the Moonshine Band tunes have the ring of truth. Need proof? Check out JB’s lyrical take on the perfect hangover cure from the title cut of Beer for Breakfast:

I’ve seen ‘em all hunched over prayin’ to that toilet seat Not knowin’ all they had to do was pop a top and drink

But on the other end of the spectrum, “The Only Drug,” also from Breakfast, has plenty of romance, with just a touch of that trademark JB grit:

If you’re thinkin’ I’m addicted, I guess it’s kinda true, but they can keep their drink, their smoke, their pills and their cocaine, too . . . ‘cause your love’s the only drug I do.

While the band has achieved great success in Texas and is beginning to see it blossom in other parts of the country, JB knows he has to be careful not to forsake what’s made them popular in their home state in order to gain fans elsewhere.

“I have the responsibility to myself and to my fans to be myself on my records. That’s first and foremost to me. And that’s what’s brought us this far. I just have to always remain true to myself.”

The good news is fans are loving the music on Beer for Breakfast and the response to the CD’s summer single “No Better Than This” has been beyond great.

“We did a show recently and a bunch of people were all up at the stage and singing our songs—even songs that have never even thought about being singles. There’s no better feeling on stage than to look out at a sea of people singing a song that you wrote. That’s just the ultimate to me. And I’m fortunate and blessed to be able to experience that."

So, what about those new goals?

“I want to write a song that goes Top 10 in the Billboard charts,” declares JB with a smile. “And if I got a No. 1, that’s it. I can retire. All my wildest dreams would have come true.”

That would be great for JB, but as far as his fans are concerned, they’d probably be happy with a long string of No. 2 hits . . . to keep him out there playing more great music for years to come.

Hell To Pay
JB and the Moonshine Band Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fifty bucks ain't gonna cut it hoss
The tip jar didn't even cover the loss
From the gas to the motel much less get us home
My head's still throbbin' like a Waylon song
You fed us Pabst Blue Ribbon and a chilli-dog
I guess a man's word ain't worth nothin' back where you're from

'Cause everybody got drunk

And everybody got laid
They were singing all the words to my songs
We played five long sets
And everybody there stayed
Fork it over baby we'll be gone
But if you really want to try
To jack my cash this way
I'll introduce you to my .38
You better give me my money
Or there'll be hell to pay

You turned the shop back on and the power blue
I had to duck a Shiner bottle some redneck threw
I sang Free Bird acapella
While you tried to get the breaker back on
Some chick was getting crazy in the bathroom stall
I had to pee so bad I nearly lost it all
Naw, it ain't my fault
You gotta wild ass honkytonk

'Cause everybody got drunk
And everybody got stoned
They were yelling all the words to my songs
They were jerry-rigging lighters out of telephones
Still up and going when the kegs were gone
But if you really wanna try to jack my cash this way
You can tell it to my .38
You better give me my money
Or there'll be hell to pay

Said my ears are still ringin 'cause my mic was hot
Head spinning from the Jagger shots
And I done told y'all all, I ain't goin' back to jail
But these here blisters on my fingers say the show straight rocked
Now they're grippin' on the trigger and the hammer's cocked
If I gotta get buck wild up in here I will

'Cause everybody got drunk
And everybody got laid
They were yelling all the words to my songs
We played five long sets
And everybody there stayed
Fork it over baby we'll be gone
But if you really want to try
To jack my cash this way
You'll be hearing from my .38
You better give me my money
Or there'll be hell to pay
Yeah, you better give me my money
Or there'll be hell to pay

There'll be hell to pay

Overall Meaning

The JB and the Moonshine Band's song, Hell To Pay, describes the unpleasant experiences of a band after a performance at a wild honkytonk joint in terms of money, environment, and safety. The band was only tipped fifty bucks, and the money earned couldn't cover the expenses they encountered, including gas and motel bills. The band's frontman seems agitated, with a throbbing headache, which he compares to a Waylon song. However, the most severe annoyance came from the establishment's patrons who were drunk and rowdy, some of whom attempted to steal the band's cash. The song's chorus warns anyone who tries to rob them that they will face the consequences, as the band's frontman will respond with his .38.

Throughout the song, the singer makes references to the disorderly honkytonk joint, where the patrons were drinking alcohol excessively and using drugs. It was so chaotic that someone threw a beer bottle at the stage, and a lady was getting crazy in the bathroom stall. The patrons were dancing and singing to the songs being performed by the band, which included five sets of their music.

Additionally, the lyrics indicate that the JB and the Moonshine Band's frontman is unafraid and stubborn; he won't let anyone intimidate him, and he is not going back to jail. At the end of the song, the band's frontman warns the robbers that there will be consequences if they don't give him his money.

Line by Line Meaning

Fifty bucks ain't gonna cut it hoss
The fifty dollars paid to the band was not enough to cover all expenses incurred by them.

The tip jar didn't even cover the loss
Even the money contributed by the audience as a tip was not enough to make up for the money lost by the band.

From the gas to the motel much less get us home
The money paid to the band did not even cover the cost of gas to reach the destination let alone enough to pay for their stay in a motel and return home.

My head's still throbbin' like a Waylon song
The singer's head is still aching due to extensive singing and loud music, similar to that of a song by the singer Waylon.

You fed us Pabst Blue Ribbon and a chilli-dog
The only food and drink provided to the band was a cheap beer called Pabst Blue Ribbon and a chili-dog.

I guess a man's word ain't worth nothin' back where you're from
The singer implies that the person who hired them is not trustworthy and may have not kept his word about the payment.

'Cause everybody got drunk
The crowd present at the event got drunk.

And everybody got laid
The crowd present at the event indulged in sexual activities.

They were singing all the words to my songs
The crowd was familiar with the songs sung by the band and sang along with them.

We played five long sets
The band played five sets, each of significant duration.

And everybody there stayed
The people in attendance did not leave before the band completed their performance.

Fork it over baby we'll be gone
The band intends to leave immediately after receiving their payment.

But if you really want to try
However, if the person who hired them tries to cheat them out of their money, a confrontation will arise.

To jack my cash this way
If the person tries to steal the money owed to the band.

I'll introduce you to my .38
The singer implies that he will use his .38 caliber gun to threaten or harm the person who tries to cheat them out of their payment.

You better give me my money
The singer is warning the person who hired them that they should pay the band as they had agreed upon earlier.

Or there'll be hell to pay
If the band is not paid, there will be severe consequences for the person who hired them.

You turned the shop back on and the power blue
The person who hired the band turned the lights back on and the power came back after a brief outage.

I had to duck a Shiner bottle some redneck threw
During the power outage, a bottle was thrown at the singer and they had to avoid it.

I sang Free Bird acapella
The singer sang the song Free Bird without accompanying music, purely acapella.

While you tried to get the breaker back on
As the singer continued to sing, the person who hired them was attempting to fix the circuit breaker.

Some chick was getting crazy in the bathroom stall
While all of this was happening, a woman present at the event was behaving erratically in the bathroom.

I had to pee so bad I nearly lost it all
The singer had to use the bathroom badly but waited out of fear of losing any more of their earnings.

Naw, it ain't my fault
The singer is maintaining that they are not at fault for any of this chaos.

You gotta wild ass honkytonk
The venue where the band performed was rowdy and disorderly.

They were yelling all the words to my songs
The crowd was so into the band's performance that they were yelling the lyrics to the songs along with them.

They were jerry-rigging lighters out of telephones
The crowd was even resorting to makeshift methods to light their cigarettes or lighters, including using telephones.

Still up and going when the kegs were gone
The party was still in full swing even after the kegs of alcohol were emptied and there was no more alcohol left.

You can tell it to my .38
If the person cheats the band out of their payment, they will have to deal with the singer's .38 caliber gun.

You'll be hearing from my .38
The singer warns that if they are not paid, the person in charge will be hearing from their .38 caliber gun.

Said my ears are still ringin 'cause my mic was hot
The singer's ears are still ringing due to loud music being played on their microphone.

Head spinning from the Jagger shots
The singer's head is spinning due to consuming shots of alcohol, presumably named after Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.

And I done told y'all all, I ain't goin' back to jail
The singer assures the person in charge that they will not return to jail, implying that they have previously been in trouble with the law.

But these here blisters on my fingers say the show straight rocked
The singer proudly proclaims that the band gave a great performance, hence the blisters on their fingers caused by playing instruments for an extended amount of time.

Now they're grippin' on the trigger and the hammer's cocked
As the situation has escalated and the person in charge is still not paying the band, they are now holding the gun and the hammer is cocked, indicating that they are ready for violence.

If I gotta get buck wild up in here I will
The singer is prepared to take extreme measures to get what they are owed, even if it means causing a scene or getting violent.

Yeah, you better give me my money
The singer is once again warning the person in charge to pay them their money before things get out of hand.

Or there'll be hell to pay
If they do not get paid, there will be severe consequences for the person who hired them.

Lyrics © BIG TIME HIT SONGS

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